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ORGANISERS OF THIS weekend’s planned protest calling for the abolition of water charges say speakers at the rally will also address the government’s decision to appeal the Apple tax ruling, which was backed by the Dáil last week.
Saturday’s demonstration will be the 8th national Right2Water protest to take place since October 2014.
Brendan Ogle, an official from the Unite trade union, and one of the leaders of the campaign group, said there was “a lot of anger” at the decision to appeal the European Commission’s ruling that Ireland granted the tech giant €13 billion in illegal state aid.
Speaking at a press conference today, he said the issue had “connected with people that I’ve met in a way that I haven’t heard or read about in the media”.
Ogle insisted it was unfair that such a “gargantuan amount of money is being appealed”, and predicted that the decision could swell numbers at the Dublin demonstration.
Sinn Féin and the AAA-PBP are also part of the Right2Water umbrella group, which was initially set up solely to address the water charges issue. Both parties submitted motions calling for the government to drop its appeal against the Commission ruling last week, but both were rejected by the chamber.
Organisers of the protest were preparing for “tens of thousands” to turn out, Ogle said.
He said there was a “wrong perception” that, as water charges had been suspended, the issue had gone away – adding that “we don’t see it like that at all”.
Three assembly points
Dave Gibney of the Mandate union, who also addressed today’s press conference, said a third assembly point had been added to the schedule for protesters this weekend “in light of the Apple tax situation”.
Participants will be asked to gather at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, close to Dublin’s so-called Silicon Docks area (home to a number of international tech firms) at 1.30pm.
The other assembly points are at Connolly Station, to the north of the city (2pm) and Heuston to the west (2pm).
Speeches will take place at St Stephen’s Green later in the afternoon. O’Connell Street, the usual location for water charge demonstrations, is out-of-bounds for health and safety reasons, due to continuing Luas works in the area.
Fianna Fáil
Asked whether Fianna Fáil TDs would be welcome on the stage this weekend, in light of the party’s announcement yesterday that it wants water charges abolished, Ogle said that that FF had said the “right things” from Right2Water’s point of view.
“If Fianna Fáil could be trusted on this issue, and of course there is much evidence that they can’t be, then their statement yesterday was welcome,” he said.
“We don’t think that submission, and the fact that that submission comes a week before the 8th Right2Water demonstration, is a bad thing.
“I’m not one of those people that ever think winning people around to your argument is a bad thing,” Ogle added, going on to observe that “it was Fianna Fáil who first placed water charges on the agenda”.
I’m not sure they’ve recovered popularity enough among the general mass of protesters to be welcomed onto the stage just yet.
Daragh Brophy / TwitterBrendan Ogle of Right2Water outlining the group's submission to the water commission. pic.twitter.com/WHzxn1ILKR
— Daragh Brophy (@DaraghBroph) September 13, 2016
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin confirmed yesterday that the party’s submission to the commission examining the water issue called for the abolition of charges and for the provision of water to be funded by general taxation.
He denied it was a u-turn, insisting that the submission was in line with the Fianna Fáil general election position this year.
The commission set up to examine water charges will report to an Oireachtas committee, with politicians set to vote on the issue by the end of March next year.
The tagline of this weekend’s protest is for “abolition not suspension” of the charges.
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Whatever you think about water charges anyone who honestly believes Ireland will get anywhere near the full 13 billion from Apple needs their head examined. I think the latest count is 5 other countries already claiming their slice of the pie with 10-20 others likely to follow soon after
Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good protest. This is another example of middle class champaign socialists whipping up the working class with lies and conjecture, just so they can further their own political careers.
You realise most of the protesters work, Cian, yes?
Unfortunately Ian, you are confusing other countries claiming what they would have owed in a distributed, at source tax system. These other countries are part of the eu which allows for taxing at source of wealth which was always Ireland. it was a scam to avoid taxes, but legal in Europe as long as Ireland did not give illegal aid by uncompetitive tax relief. This whole ruling is nothing to do what is fair, equal or what everyone thinks should happen, but only how laws are applied. We have done nothing to deserve it, but according to the letter of the law, Ireland has to claim the full €13b plus interest to be compliant.
True but the politicians complaining about the appeal will never admit that is the case, SF have completely ignored the facts and are intimating by appealing we are giving up the full 13 billion to fund under resources state services. It’s populism and obfuscation of the actual facts at its finest
And that final sentence, Ian, is SF in a nutshell.
@Forconnolly – lol that’s your funniest comment yet. ‘Most of the protestors work’.
Typical. People who protest are bums who have nothing better to do according to Cian and the like. People like you who won’t stand up against a seriously corrupt government are the reason people will continue to suffer. You probably have it good with this government so you don’t care what happens to families that have been desimated and abused be the powers that be. This is way beyond water charges or apple at this stage. Everybody should join the fight against this corrupt regime if not for your self for your kids. United we stand devided we fall.
Once, just once, can somebody from the anti-charges side please answer this question? If indeed we’re all already entitled to water and sewage services at no extra cost, since we’ve already paid for them through general taxation, then what do you propose to do for all the tax-paying rural residents who are responsible for the cost of installing and maintaining their own well, pump, septic tank, etc., or who have already been paying for years into a group water scheme?
@jumperoo i think we can put it in this easy to follow algorithm.
1. Pay for Water out of general taxation
2. ?
3. Profit.
I’d like to thank the underpants gnomes for the above.
Jumperoo. The majority of rural dwellers got a sizable grant in the past for that purpose. I no as my family got it.
@ gabby ‘lol that’s your funniest comment yet. ‘Most of the protestors work’.
http://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sites/default/files/assets/document/TheIrishWaterwar_0.pdf
1. Summary of Survey Findings…..
Broad demographic spread: slightly more respondents were male (53.6%), majority (61%) were between 30 and 50 years of age, 52% working full time
You obviously love being whipped by fg then Cian?
Not for them either, but people dont realise that AAA PBP etc are far worse at spin and lies than FF FG. It’s laughable to see people getting so irate over false information. Both sides are as bad as each other.
Regardless of what you think about water charges and Apple, get out there on the streets and show that we will not put up with the quangos, cronyism and outright corruption anymore. There aren’t many other developed countries where politicians get away with so little accountability. The minister for finance sees nothing wrong with a senior NAMA figure taking a 40k bribe in a car park and the electorate barely bats an eyelid! We can celebrate 1916 all we like but this country is not free when vulture funds and foreign governments own most of our assets.
Ah Rory Hearne.. now there’s an impartial down the middle observer.
“83.1% of respondents indicated that they would vote for broadly ‘Left’ candidates ((31.7%) said they would vote for PBP/AAA 27.5% for Left Independents, 23.9% for Sinn Fein5.6% said they would vote for Right Independents and 5.6%said they don’t intend to vote”
27.5% for the AAA??? where was the survey conducted forconnolly in UCD socialist party ?
Of course this survey from 2014 really translated into the general election figures from last year… where the aaa easily won 27.5% of the vote and left candidates broadly won the election.
Another quote from the Propaganda piece:
Selection of Participant views
On the impact of austerity, bank bailouts, debt and the crisis:
“
It’s just unfair and too much. I cannot see at the moment where the money for water is going to come from in my a
lready
overstretched budget. As a student and a single parent I find it difficult as it is to make ends meet wit
hout having to face this
also
”
“
My mother and her 75yr old husband are homeless. My sister is €8K behind on her mortgage and banks are threatening to
repossess her apartment. My 65
yr.
old father has to use a food bank and cannot afford to h
eat his house. We’ve had enough
”
“
I have lost all faith in the government, I was swayed in my last vote by promises that were not met. I knew the job to exit the
troika and recover from austerity would be hard, but the low income, working class people have really felt the brunt of this government, and the wealthy and rich have once again emerged unscathed. Unfair, unjust and promises broken. I will not trust the main parties again, time for change, time for change time for change…
And of course the winners of the general election were….. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael – exactly as predicted above.
If people don’t stop the begrudgery and support their fellow inhabitants, you will all be the precariat class in no time.
AAA/PBP got about 83,000 votes from a total of about 2,100,000 cast. The people have spoken apparently.
Guru> I am not going to show blind support for group randomly adding different reasons for a protest.
@ForConolly 52% is technically a “majority”, granted. But a very underwhelming one.
Thats 52% of protesters who work full time Neal, It does not include part time employees, zero hour contracts etc.
I see lots of town and city dwellers red thumbing my question without actually answering it. And Vincent, even if there were grants for a while in the past, they just helped to cover the initial installation charge. There are no grants towards the cost of the sort of ongoing maintenance or repair work that urban dwellers take for granted. My question is simply this: shouldn’t the rural dwellers who pay into the general taxation pot be ‘entitled’ to the same services as their urban counterparts?
Well if Ireland had charged Apple the tax on the 1st place, maybe there would be no march this Saturday & no squabbling in Europe either. Also When did 12.50% become 0.005% – Is this modern education – Am I missing out on some new mathematical formulae here ?
@ Jumperoo – yes they should get a tax break or a grant to achieve parity. In reality, I would imagine that the total tax paid by a city dweller and a rural dweller would/should be compared with the total services recieved and then adjusted for equality. If that is not the case, it should be.
What happens if you support water charges but are against the apple tax – is there a side protest that can be attended? or vice versa – what happens if you support some water charges but not all and are unsure about the apple tax depending on outcome of review?
old gabby ,,its a saturday…..are you free
Not including part timers retirees students etc
Well gabby , then they must be a fool because if you support the water charges and are against apple paying the €13 billion tax bill. Let’s be honest only a fool turns away ,€13 billion.
@Littleone – ah you must be one of those that believes that Ireland would actually see any of that money owed to our EU neighbours… i understand completely. Do you know there is this great game that would suit you to play its called ‘pong’ and its a larf – knock yourself out.
Well gabby and you must one of those people that sees nothing with dodgy taxes, vulture funds and tax loopholes, nama shenaghins, . you must one of those people that can’t read and didn’t read the commission report but just believed noonan and co. That’s gas gabby. Really best laugh today.
well said vincent . and its economic necessity for most decent people on social welfare, i believe thats in the little blue book . listening to uneducated gombeens all over the country cry about the welfare system and how people choose to live their life want to grow a pair and admit they are modern day slaves with no choice. taxation without repesentation . im a full time carer and glad i have that choice. slavery is when you have no choice and just get exploited. seetec , ce scams ,jobs bridge , low paid. intreo. oppression counts for most suicide in ireland. up the revolution..
Jumperoo. The answer is no, rural dwellers should not be entitled to the same levels of services as their urban cousins.
General taxation should fund provision of water services in places the population is concentrated. This allows economic growth in these population centres or at least a place for people to live with water and sewage provided.
That doesn’t mean rural dwellers should be left high and dry, there should be and is grant funding for private water supply and septic tanks. The cost of upkeep on your private water services is a small price to pay for the luxury of living in the countryside. I know this coming from a rural area with our own well and septic tank.
You should consider yourself lucky to live in a country that allows such high levels of rural development, in most European countries and the UK no new houses are allowed to be built outside of villages, partly because the water services aren’t there and it would not be economical to expect them to be provided just because you decide to live miles from the networks.
Don’t let the facts get in the way of patronising people Cian. Some of us can make our own minds up about this government, corrupt, looking after vested interests – FACT! 12.5% is the Corporate Tax rate in this country, not 0.005% but off you go there like a good little Galley Boy.
@Ian you maybe right but when all the tax dodgers are added up including panama i reckon we will have a niffty treasure chest apple isn’t the only sweet heart deal Ian and while were at it lets start making them all pay lets say 6% if apple decide to up and leave someday it would be a scandal to not have gotten the cash out of them.
Just bring your banner gabby stating what you protest its 19billion when interest is included by the way.
@john doe: by your logic, city dwellers – particularly dublin folk – should view water charges as a small price to pay for all the extra services they enjoy over and above rural dwellers. Like, yes, water and sewage services. Not to mention subsidised public transport within walking distance no matter where you are in the city. And a whole lot more besides.
ALL the protesters work! Some just don’t get paid for the work they do while others are PRECLUDED from applying for jobs due to being on the “wrong” social welfare payment (in my case, disability allowance) OUR sole mission in life is to simply stay ALIVE. If only to spite the likes of John Halligan who would happily bring in euthanasia (i.e. asdisted suicide) if he could
@Cian Martin “Champaign socialists”.
Do you mean Champagne or campaign, I’m confused!
@old gabby – U sound very missed up. Have u really got an opinion of self worth?
Jumperoo, Dublin folk pay dearer for everything. Property tax. Cost of living is higher. Rent is higher. Mortgages are higher. Motor insurance higher. You sad attempt to denigrate and divide rural from urban is quite tragic. Back in your box please.
Muppet
Hoping for a large turn out,we don’t want them to get of the hook.
I’m going but there is lot more than Water on the table, this is to prove once and for all that the Irish are sick of being treated like sheep. I am not prepared for another Hookey government to EXPECT us to take the cuts that can be avoided. We don’t have to bend down to EU rule either, what are the EU going to do EXPEL US! That would go down well with the rest of the 27 countries.
We have been treated like uneducated twits for the last 8 years, time to stand up.
Rant over ( for the moment ).
Based on that, I fear they may have been right.
You do realise the Irish people held a free and fair election right?
Don’t be fooled by the soundbites being dropped by FF and FG. Its no coincidence that they’re talking aobut ending water charges in the lead up to the big protest on Saturday.
See you all there!
How will we know its you Brendan?
There’ll be a big ‘B’ on my codpiece
Or small B… its how you use it though right?
I support the fight against water charges but once again we see the whole movement hijacked by headbangers like the AAA, Paul Murphy and RBB. Expect the Middle class to be frightened away by these guys. And Most people who work in Multi National companies support Apple so this is another shot in the foot.
The middle class baing scared away by RBB??
Good one.
Richard Boyd Blabbermouth
So why are you still going Stephen?
Im not going because of the Apple thing. If its a protest about water charges id go but its not.
Its the usual leftist agenda.
Course you would stephen, course you would.
yep
God forbid you’d be against water charges but not Apple tax rulings. I thought the movement accepted people from all walks of life.
By bringing unrelated Apple into it they’ve alienated a huge portion of the population.
FG must delighted that they have AAA to completely destroy the movement with their agendas
stephen, how did you get the position of official spokesperson for ‘a huge portion of the population’? Is it self appointed or did you have to apply?
Headbangers…. Never knew there were so many heavy metal fans at these rallies, did they get lost on the way to an AC/DC concert or what…
Yes Id prefer AC/DC to these clowns haha
For connolly is right. AAA/ PBP enjoy a massive 3.8% of the popular vote.
Ignore that twit Stephen’s pitiful attempt at scaremongering. It’s a good day out, nice people, good banter. A lot of fine people coming from the further outside Dublin have to get up early to be there. Maybe arrange to meet your cousins! Water is the common factor but you won’t be getting grief from anyone because you do or you don’t agree with Apple, it’s not like that. Only takes a couple of hours for the protest and then you are free to shop, eat or have a pint. It’s not a chore at all. Luas/Dart park and ride into town is a good plan.
Im entitled to my opinion. And you will get grieve from a huge portion of that crowd if you support apple. stop guessing
Knock it off Stephen with the bull manure. You won’t be going at least, so everybody else is safe.
Well said Stephen. I love how FC cannot see the irony when he questions your right to speak when he cannot shut up being the mouth piece for Jarry, the trust fund kid and the Goatstown cheese!!!
There is no middle class anymore, they have been picked clean by the vultures, on paper most of them own nothing, what’s left of them are up to their eyeballs in debt, some are been kicked out of their houses by a banking cartel that rose out of the ashes of banks that they bailed out, what’s worse they have no services or infrastructure to show for the huge amount of tax they pay. They are supposed to be the educated ones but they are the most ignorant of all, everyone has their hand in their pocket.
This upcoming protest will give the tax payers a chance to say ENOUGH is ENOUGH because it is them who shoulder the consequences and burdens of successive government mismanagement.
The 17th September was picked because its a Europe wide day of anti-austerity marches and yes that includes people dying on our streets while Apple are swanning off into the sunset Stephen O’Callaghan. If you did a bit of research, you’d find that out for yourself but I bet you’re too busy at the Young FG meetings deciding how best to spend ‘Daddy’s’ money.
Most people who dont work for multi national companies dont support apple so bang there goes the other foot.
I won’t be going, but then, I have friends to hang out with on Sat so I don’t need to.
This is a get-together for people that think it’s ok to demand equal benefit (if not benefit screwed in their favour) but don’t accept equal contribution. In fact, quite apart from the fact that percentages in the first place relieve them of most of their responsibilities, they then go so far as to demand a different percentage for themselves vs others assuming they pay a percentage at all. Perhaps they should save the bus fare, in the hope at least some of them are actually spending it, and use it on general economics lessons instead.
Sorry I have an actual life and plans for my Saturday afternoon!
Did you ever wonder how your “actual life” with free Saturdays came to be Paul?
I think we need one big protest against this gov, the garda, the teachers, the bus drivers, and everybody else that wants to join, to finally push these useless politicians out the door, to give kenny a strong definitive response to his mojo. We probably need something like a one day PAYE strike to knock the stuffing out of this useless bunch, shake their foundation, make sure they know they’re not wanted, a response to answer all their media bluff and bull, and change politics for the better.
Iceland did it (mass protects), they were very successful, we should do it too.
protests, not protects.
Protects is better.
I forecast the following the media will tell us 300 people attended, AAA will state they must blind as there was at least 50,000 in attendance!
50,000, they will say 500,000
Apple on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay is nothing more than a Brass Plate.
Apple in Cork employ 4,000 some Brass Plate!
Aye and thats working out in lost tax at about 2,000,000e a job
Thanks to all the thousands of water protesters to date.its great to have people thinking of others in our communities.
Surely they aren’t a mutual issue that people agree on.
When has that ever stopped a populist politician?
The power of any nation will always reside in the hearts and minds of its people. Children will always remember marching in peaceful protest with there parents. Beaming with pride telling there grandchildren how their grandparents stood up to an unfair politicial system who treated them worse than animals. After living for years with unjust austerity policy’s forced on a nation by threats from the ECB and imposed by weak politicians more interested in keeping there own entitlements. None of the 30% of the population who profit from goverment decisions will every need to march or the politician themselves will never need to protest. The Apple scandal is just another example where 380 million of taxpayer money will be handed over each year to Europe instead of going towards social services. 13 billion is A staggering amount of state aid for a company who don’t even have a store in Ireland. It’s time to stand up to the level corruption In public life in Ireland. Time to jail the wrongdoers and start working on a new society, were none of us will every really be equal but we can at least thrust those we elect to legislate.
Stephen your breath must stink from all the shit you are spewing out of your trolling mouth
An Election you say that’s more of a Shelbyville idea……..” Young man tell us what your idea is and we will em vote for it!”
Lets marry our cousins!
Apple is only being added to the ticket because the crowd won’t turn up this time. Water charges effectively died with the government formation.
Anyone who think the 13bn is all ours (closer to 18bn with interest), or that it’s somehow equatable to x hospital beds, is a dreamer.
Populist politics at it’s best – these guys would give John Halligan a run for his money.
FG really love their supporters because they don’t even have to spend money on lube.
don’t you know nobody likes common sense on these comment sections?
Loads of dreamers and extremes…the government is constantly corrupt, don’t tax water but sure as hell make sure all our systems are functional and up to date, low to no taxes but give me the best public services, high wages, low priced goods, f**k the multinationals but give us yer jobs, abuse to gardai but fight my societies crimes, give me free houses, build houses but don’t build skyscrapers that block out the sun, bloody westbrits – hon united, trump bad hillary good, screw the EU and on and on the contradictions go. Life of course isn’t black and white…there’s lots of funky grey in between, in a world where crazy religion and a sky fairy is one of our main cornerstones is that not to be expected?
Fight it all you want with protests but offer up alternatives, read, study….open your eyes to some of the bullshit that pervades in politics and life in general. Its a game,sometimes unfair,often unjust but one we all play in some way and other. I write this from a desk chained to wasted time. Everybody hates high rents, taxes, bank charges, debt but what is the alternative, what are the solutions? Nobody is offering them.
“but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”.
Revenue reckons €2.5 billion is lost through white collar crime every year….how about we boost the Garda Fraud Squad numbers to tackle it…it would pay for itself.
How about we don’t allow vulture funds to have charitable status to avoid paying tax, that should get many billions in the coffers.
How about we tell the ECB that blackmailing Ireland into paying the gambling debts of German, French and UK banks is not on and they should cover their own losses…..there’s €60 billion.
Or we can just roll over as usual and you can remain chained to your desk because you criticize anyone who stands up and says no to corruption.
Hey al ca “do you wanna build a snow man….”
all fine ideas (with the exception of the ignorance related to the banking system).
Anyway – what have those problems got to do with people paying directly for water?
Before I even opened your profile Jude Perry, I knew you were Young FG. What’s the matter, afraid Daddy’s gravy train is coming to a crushing end or will you actually have to go out into the real world and find a job. Populist actually means ‘looking after the concerns of ordinary people’ but I wouldn’t expect you tossers to read a dictionary so not surprised you come across as clueless.
I’m chuckling at the number of Young FG heads on here. If you bothered to hop off Daddy’s gravy train and live in the real world instead of the UCD Bar, you might actually learn something that Daddy’s money can’t teach them, its called responsibility. Who is responsible for the mess we’re in, R2W or the Fine Failures of both Right Wing Parties. Btw the dictionary definition of the word Populist is ‘looking after the interests of ordinary people’. I feel a bit like Matt Damon’s character in ‘Good Will Hunting’ when schooling the Young FG type in the bar, ‘I’m many things, but at least I’m not unoriginal’ or words to that effect. Perhaps explain to Daddy basic economics and not the Leprachaun version you’re so keen to swallow from Noonan and then maybe volunteer with Simon for a night to see what’s really going on. Keeping the recovery going, you people are having a laugh.
Hi Maggie, I know it’s such a hoot being more intelligent than other people on the internet.
The water charges issue is already won. Once FF copped on to the futility of opposing it, and came on board, it was “call the undertaker” time.
You have to admire their pragmatism though, they were always ahead of FG in the vote getting stakes.
And now,despite their flawed and shameful past, they will more than likely be the biggest Party next election. See ya Saturday….
Bracing myself for RTEmto,report that there were nearly 500 protesters…..
November must be near.
Such populist left nonsense. Every country in Europe pays for water, this whole idea of “a right to water” is a complete non argument, water is a service that currently has major faults, half of Ireland’s water is lost through leaks, an entity like Irish water is essential to resolve this , a county council doesn’t have the capacity to fix this. People talk about progressive tax and the the same people refuse to pay 3 a week to improve an essential service. This people feel they are entitled to everything and will pay for nothing. if work meant getting up they’d stay in bed.
Ah lad it’s Ireland. Anyone who works for a living couldn’t be bothered marching over two quid a week when they are paying several multiples of that in USC. More money for free, tax the rich and the working. Blah blah.
lol…..€3 a week doesn’t even cover the cost of the billing service, so how can it help to improve the service. The billing service is actually taking money away from infrastructure improvement. The councils are still looking after the water and waste but now on a contract basis with a new expensive layer of bureaucracy called IW, a call centre and a HQ rented from DOB for €16 million over ten years, not forgetting DOB’s contract for fitting useless meters that have yet to be used for billing. By 2018 €6 billion will have been pumped into IW with very little done, If you consider that Enda reckoned to fix the whole system would cost €10 billion, then by 2018 we could be close to two thirds fixed, but instead we will hardly have started.
The only reason this IW fiasco is still running is because many ex FG/Lab/FF councillors have been rewarded with plum jobs in IW…….kind of like the Seanad….a place to go when you lose you place with voters.
Well, considering the public service straight jacket of merging 34 local water divisions into a single state company, what do you expect? You can’t sack anyone in this country.
The old system was crap and a waste of resources. We need a centralised water utility run by, you know, civil engineers. Of course the whole thing was going to cost money but the key is that, in the long run (once these triple jobbed positions across the old council water divisions start to retire), Irish Water will be a profitable company. It’s happened with the ESB and Bord Gais. It will happen with Irish Water in the near future.
I know it’s difficult to comprehend that you need to invest money to establish a large company when you records consist of decent plans in some councils, right down to post its and ‘ring John, he knows where the main is’. We need a water utility and abolishing a state utility is literally criminal idiocy; especially after you have already paid a huge portion of the money to establish the utility.
We’re going to be founding ‘Water Ireland’ in a decade otherwise.
Jude, where has the 29 billion that has been paid for water gone?
The pay for nothing brigade are on the FF/FG/Lab benches in leinster hse
For years they have been stealing tax money for pet projects, or for their own benefit, or Redacted’s benefit, or the benefits of corporations, or vulture funds, or NAMA, or IBRC, or IW, or banks, Irish as well as European, or bondholders. or bankrupt developers.
How much more do ordinary people have to contribute for corporate welfare? Working or not working, every one not on the gravy train contributes.
Enough is enough. It’s time people were put first. We pay the piper.
Al Ca – did you even make an attempt to understand why the utility was setup? It was specifically so the utility, as opposed to the government, could borrow 10bl on the markets for investment in the infrastructure. If the government had to do that it would mean even more of your detested austerity.
For the record, I disagree with IW setup – I would have been happier if the government had been forced to implement more austerity and they used IW as a cop out. Less tax, less government, more personal responsibility is my preference.
nice bunch of lads with nothing better to do
might as well protest for the ripp off motor insurance
As much as I like a protest against corruption I feel we had our chance to protest in the general election and yet the same parties ended up in power and FF back strong. We rued the chance as a nation to send a message. We as a nation are notorious for not sticking by each other it’s the reason it took so long for us to gain independence, we only look after our own interests instead of looking after our neighbours, our friends, our own family and the most vulnerable in society. The older generation and the well off are the guilty parties in the way the system is now, they wouldn’t vote for change as it didn’t suit them instead they condemned their own children to a lifetime of debt and struggle. Having said that my generation late 20′s, 30′s, 40′s need to wake the F**k up and start standing up and be counted and demand change and vote.
“If you alway do what you’ve always done, you always get what you always got”
Why don’t the water protestors turn their attention to the TV licence?
Surely this is double taxation? I know people acquiesced to the black and white TV licence in 1961 when it came in but it’s never too late to start objecting to it, right?
RTE should be paid out of general taxation.
Hope they don’t bother “protesting” at Sir John Rogersons Quay. Very few around at the weekend they’ll be protesting at empty buildings lol
I should get a good view from the Shelbourne
Has that communist Ogle not fooked off?
By 10′s of thousands they mean more than 20 thousand right?
20,001 will turn up, however RTE will say 5,700 and Ogle will say the mother of all marches took place with almost 200,000 people in it.
All wanna-be dictators use the same politics… Stalin, Hitler, North Korean lads…etc.
*rolls eyes* Surprised they aren’t adding BLM to the protest agenda too…
have your say